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Is megalencephaly specific to autism?
Author(s) -
Ghaziuddin M.,
Zaccagnini J.,
Tsai L.,
Elardo S.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of intellectual disability research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1365-2788
pISSN - 0964-2633
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2788.1999.00211.x
Subject(s) - megalencephaly , autism , psychology , infantile autism , developmental disorder , pervasive developmental disorder , head circumference , pediatrics , psychiatry , medicine , neuroscience , pregnancy , birth weight , biology , genetics
Several recent reports have described the presence of increased head circumference (megalencephaly) in patients with autism. Although some studies have described reports of megalencephaly in other disorders such as schizophrenia in adults, few such studies have been performed in children and adolescents. In the present study, the authors compared 20 subjects with autism/pervasive developmental disorder (DSM‐IV; all males; mean age = 10.9 years) with 20 controls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (DSM‐IV; all males; mean age = 11.1 years). Four subjects and five controls had evidence of megalencephaly. In addition to their core symptoms, the autistic subjects with megalencephaly were hyperactive and impulsive. These findings suggest that megalencephaly may not be specific to autism, and when present, it may index the presence of additional symptoms such as hyperactivity and impulsivity.